The long-eared owl is a small European owl with ear tufts that make it look permanently surprised. It's one of the easiest birds to release, especially into the Scottish Highlands reserve. The catch is the nest: it has to be the right size.
In career mode
The Scottish Highlands career scenario asks you to release a long-eared owl mating pair. It's one of the early objectives, so you'll meet this owl quickly.
The mating pair
To release a pair, you need:
- One male and one female
- Fertility of at least 15%
- Genetic diversity of at least 50%
How to set it up:
- Send all your owls to storage (trading and storage).
- Go to Release groups and create a new group.
- Pick an unrelated male and female.
- Finalise the group. Juveniles won't mature after you finalise, so use adults.
The nest
Owls need a medium cup nest in the reserve ecosystem you release them into. A large cup nest won't count. This catches a lot of people out. Their reserve ecosystems include mixed lowland forest, moorland, montane and loch.
Owls in your zoo
- Owls are great in a birds of prey section alongside eagles.
- Don't overcrowd them. Too many owls in one habitat leads to fighting. When you see it, move the extras to the trade centre.
- A single owl is happy on its own.
- If an owl escapes, check the aviary netting and roof for gaps.
Research and education
Owls scored 4 out of 5 for education coverage in one of my zoos. Adding an extra education item near the habitat fills the last point.
Tips
- The Scottish Highlands is one of the best reserves for beginners. It has 11 species, and owls are one of the easiest.
- A nocturnal house with owls and other night animals is a nice build if you have the space.